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Yvella - Goddess of Lust and Revenge
Yvella is perhaps the most widely worshiped goddess on the Imbringen Islands — seen as an ancient deity with a memory as long as the world is old, who rarely if ever forgives slights against her or her followers. Revered across all of the islands in almost equal measure, she is particularly popular among the elven people of Lustral and Kemesh, as they see her as their patron goddess, as they share many of her qualities, especially the thirst for revenge. She, however, does not consider herself as such, as she is a fickle goddess, but for reasons unknown to most mortals, she has taken a shine to the elven people. While she never pushes them to act in a way outside of their nature, it is said that she is always present and watching over them, ready to aid them should they have need of her gifts. Whether that is true or not remains to be seen, but the elves of Imbringen remain loyal to her all the same. Yvella is a pure image of everything that both men and women alike find fascinating in the opposite gender, she attracts men and women equally with raw sexual energy. She is sensual, desirable, and arousing, at least when described in civilized conversation, with far more vulgar terms being used in places with far fewer morals. Should one ever spy upon Yvella's clothed body, they immediately begin to wonder what she would look like naked; with the idea of her nudity driving their curious minds. There is far more to this goddess than just her body, however, and one would be foolish just to judge her on that alone. She is considered to be many things, among them; mischievous, confusing, deceptive, and silver-tongued. When conversing with any mortal or god she is capable of disarming her opponent with little more than words spoken from a honeyed tongue. Words are what she lives off of, and as such she greatly respects any individual who can convey hours worth of words within simple gestures and looks. As every rose has its thorn, so too does Yvella have a dark side to her which can be provoked for any reason or no reason. When she is slighted, she does not forgive and she does not forget. Instead, she makes intricate plans and plots the perfect act of comeuppance, for Yvella is not only the goddess of lust but also the goddess of revenge and her fury can and often does strike when the target of her wrath is unprepared for it. Patience is her ally, for even if she must wait decades or even centuries to enact her vengeance, it will always be done, sometimes in the cruelest way imaginable. This has led to some mortals, who are unable to understand the intricacies of Yvella's personality to accuse the goddess of being evil, but the truth, as always, is more complex than that. Yvella is not good, nor is she evil, she is simply amoral, discarding the notions of right and wrong, and ignoring the concept of justice. She realizes that the world, nay, the universe is an unfair place and acts accordingly. If others choose to follow her vision, then so be it; and if some men and women are hurt by the decisions they make during the journey, she stands as a constant reminder that every creature, regardless of gender, status, race or creed has the right—and the responsibility—to seek vengeance against those that wronged them. In artistic depictions, Yvella is usually shown as a beautiful woman, sometimes human, sometimes elf, wearing a figure-hugging red dress accented with gold, often with a black or red silk drape falling from her arms. Her eyes are either dark or bright blue but sometimes flash with golden tones when depicted as showing passion or anger. She is commonly shown holding a thorned rose, her holy symbol, for the rose is a symbol of lust, yet for those who disrespect it, the thorns are capable of cutting deep and causing significant injuries. Of course, all of this depends on the views of the surrounding societies, for in places where attitudes are more carefree, such as in Lustral, worshipers of Yvella are not afraid of depicting her in more scandalous garments (or none at all) or showing her in various compromising situations, in these regions, sexually explicit art featuring the goddess is extremely common. Yvella’s holy symbol is the thorned rose with the thorns themselves appearing as wickedly sharp; able to greatly wound the careless, yet be used as a symbol of lust in most situations. To represent the hidden potential of the rose to wound, many of her faithful carry daggers which they hide beneath their robes, so that they too may strike at the uninitiated who think that they can mistreat those around them without consequence. History As one of the twenty, Yvella was originally a mortal woman, yet like Uvthar, the god of slavery and pride, she was not one of the founders of Imbringen, but rather one of the offspring between the founders, the only daughter of Uphion and Igstus, or as they were known during their mortal lives, Uphari and Igstan. From an early age, she was raised to embrace her desires, but also given lessons of history and other forms of knowledge. As she matured, she began to fully embrace her sexuality, something her mother greatly approved of, but her father abhorred. When Aellaskal announced that she had discovered the Locus, an ancient device capable of bestowing great power on any who touched it. Yvella traveled with her parents to the vault which housed the device. She was one of the nineteen who were given the opportunity to touch it, and in doing so, she, like her parents, was elevated to a state of godhood. She took on the persona of a goddess, and as she loved to embrace her sexuality and engage in sexual acts with those she deemed suitable, she became the goddess of lust, a goddess who swiftly became popular among the Imbringen islands. It was during the civil war between the gods when Qanlor and Loreskil waged their war between themselves, that Yvella would take on the persona of the goddess of vengeance. She wished to support Loreskil during the conflict, as she saw the darkness within Qanlor and knew that to unleash that on the Imbringen islands would create a darkness that no god or goddess would ever be able to stand against. She attempted to turn other gods and goddesses to her side, but focused on one, in particular, Teremel. At the time Teremel had, as far as she knew, not taken a side in the conflict and seemed to be torn between aiding Qanlor or Loreskil. Using her skills in conversation, she convinced Teremel to side with Loreskil and together they marched into battle, fighting against the forces of Qanlor and the other gods and goddesses who had sided with him. Together they won many victories, but it was during what many called the final battle of the civil war that Teremel revealed his true allegiance. Declaring himself as Teremis, God of Murder and Secrets, he plunged his knife into Yvella's back, severely wounding but not killing her. Yvella had no idea what had happened following the stabbing, yet as more and more of the deception became clear she became more and more furious. All her thoughts turned to revenge, and she plotted as she recovered, preparing to exact vengeance against Teremis for his betrayal of her trust. Once she recovered, she waited, observing Teremis, his patterns, his strengths and his weaknesses, and when the moment was right, she struck. Deciding that he should pay dearly for the pain caused to her by her betrayal, she threw the god of murder and secrets into an acid bath and made sure he stayed down until all the flesh and organs had been burned away, leaving nothing more than a skeleton in its place. It was in that moment that Yvella became more than just the goddess of lust, she also became the goddess of revenge. The Church of the Rose The Church of the Rose is the official church of Yvella, and while the church, and its multiple temples, see countless visitors each day, some praying for lustful desires, others for revenge, many of these individuals are simply passing through, and are not full devotees to Yvella. They are men and women who fill the roles of politicians, nobles, merchants, mages and countless other positions within society and as such, would not dare to be seen as permanent worshippers of the goddess of lust, given the scandalous activities which take place within her temples. As she is the goddess of lust, however, it should come as no surprise that prostitutes and mistresses are her primary worshippers, as their trade is lust itself, and so they form close bonds to Yvella and her church as a result of that natural bond. Those who work within the church are primarily Elves, as their long-lived race has more in common with the goddesses own desires than many of the short-lived races. That is not a restrictive measure, though, as all races are welcome in the church and allowed to serve her in official capacities should they wish to and despite the bulk of the church's priests and acolytes being of the elven race, there are more than a few humans, gnomes and even dwarves who willingly serve the goddess. Ceremonies within the Church of the Rose which honor Yvella involve many different aspects, such as the burning of incense, as well as deep prayer and meditation, however, it is not entirely uncommon for ritual sex to also factor into prayers dedicated to the goddess of lust, although such acts rarely, if ever reach the levels of orgiastic excess described in the multiple stories that are passed around in more uncivilized company. The Church of the Rose is a church that unlike many others doesn't acknowledge or perform marriages. While they recognize that the act of marriage serves a purpose in society, most of Yvella's faithful resist the urge to settle down with one person, even if they love that person a great deal and would otherwise marry if they were part of any other faith. This is especially true for the elves, for their long lives only ensure that being bound to one partner is a stifling affair that brings only pain and mental suffering, especially if their partner is from one of the short lived races. Ultimately, the servants of Yvella believe that any relationship over two months in length is far too long and that a relationship longer than that should be ended with no stigma attached, although it should be noted that this freedom of love does not provide an excuse for servants of Yvella to be unfaithful to their lovers if they choose to take one. Should a servant of Yvella choose to be unfaithful, all it provides is a means for their spurned partner to seek vengeance, something Yvella is more than happy to help with. The Temples and Shrines of Yvella A typical temple of Yvella is a building which has been converted into a place of worship, with the most common building being abandoned mansions which have many rooms that can be locked for the privacy of those who visit. Unlike other religions, which may only have one temple dedicated to their god or goddess in a city, the Yvellan faith allows for a city to have multiple temples dedicated to the goddess, and much like the goddess herself, the purpose of each temple can change wildly: with each temple either leaning toward good, evil, or neutral actions, which in turn influences the type of services which are present within the temple, the types of visitors the temple receives and the disposition of the temple priests and acolytes. Temples which lean toward good actions aim to elevate both the drive of pleasure anticipated, and the pleasure achieved by their visitors for it is the belief of these churches that those who are more sexually satisfied are more benevolent and far less aggressive to those around them, which not only benefits the temple itself but the communities surrounding the temples. In many ways, these temples act like noble salons, places where people of all walks of life come to socialize, hear the local or international news and in the case of nobles and other men and women of import, be seen in the public eye. On the flip side of the coin, there are the temples dedicated to more evil activities, which act more like thieves’ guilds and whore houses: places to plant rumors, seek evidence for the pursuit of revenge, and make shady dealings with some of the world's more unsavory characters, all while heightening the various aspects of desire and lust. Neutral temples attempt to sit somewhere in the middle, acting as a facility to keep the lonely and lust-driven entertained while also functioning as places for gossiping and rumor mongering. Regardless of the type of temple, whether they lean toward good, evil or neutral activities, the one thing they all have in common is the presence of rose bushes and gardens. The type of rose varies depending on the alignment of the temple, although such knowledge is not made public knowledge and is only picked up through visitors making the connections themselves. Good temples have white roses which can be found throughout the grounds, evil temples are covered in black roses and neutral temples have red roses. These roses do more than just look pretty, however, as the priests of Yvella enchant these bushes with magical spells and protection charms. They remain pristine, provided that they are attended to, and also act as a means of defense. Should an individual enter the grounds of a temple who wishes to cause harm to guests or staff, the roses quickly block the intruder with thick vines covered in sharp thorns. While traditionally the magic only prevents access, some temples, particularly the evil aligned ones, adapt their spells to give the roses additional strength. At evil temples, intruders are not just blocked from entering the temple, they are often entangled with the vines, with the sharp thorns ripping through armor and flesh causing incredible amounts of pain. Shrines are not built within Yvellan culture, as worship to the goddess of lust is only performed in temples dedicated to her. With how many there often are in a city, there is simply no need for smaller shrines to be built in her honor, and so Yvellan worshippers do not build them, although unofficially any rose garden may act as a shrine in times of desperation. The Knights of the Thorn The Knights of the Thorn are the militant arm of the Church of the Rose. Their ranks are few, especially when compared to the military arms of other, more battle-ready churches such as the Holy Church of True Justice and the Church of Iron, yet the Knights of the Thorn are powerful in their own right and should not be ignored simply because their numbers are limited. Within the ranks, the majority of the Knights are Elf women, but as long as an individual is devoted to the tenets of the order, neither race nor gender acts as a barrier. Unlike other knightly orders, the Knights of the Thorn do not demand great things from others, they are agents loyal only to themselves and their goddess and do not need the aid or support of the public to tend to their duties. The tenets of the Knights of the Thorn include (but are not limited to) the following: * My life is the only path I walk, no one but the goddess herself will sway me from it. * I will devote myself fully to the pursuit of my passions, regardless of the cost. * If I want something I will take it, either through subtlety or through direct force. If my actions cause resentment and anger, those who are wronged may attempt to take revenge on me, for that is the way of the goddess. * All slights against me will be repaid tenfold against those that have wronged me. * I am the instrument of my own justice. If I am wronged, I will not leave my vengeance in the hands of the law or the courts, I will seek and carry out my vengeance with my own hands. The Role of the Church The Church of the Rose has many different roles in Imbringen society. One of its primary duties is to protect the act of prostitution from all those who would take advantage of it or attempt to destroy it for they see the industry as a sacred one. The clergy of the church are devoted to ensuring the health and safety of all those who engage in sex as a profession, regardless of their race or gender. They do not, however, support the act of sex slavery and demand that all harems and places where sexual activity is conducted accept only grown adults who are willing to engage in sexual activities. This protection of the sex industry ensures that wherever the church holds sway, regardless of city or nation, the residents of the area will always treat courtesans and nightwalkers with respect, lest an abused escort call on the Knights of the Thorn for aid in seeking vengeance. Within the Church of the Rose, all members of the clergy undergo extensive training, not only in how to converse but also how to interpret the body language of those around them. Additionally, each member of the clergy is trained in the extensive art of seduction, which allows even the plainest, most disagreeable priests to charm those around them, which often comes as a swift surprise to those who witness the change in behavior. Organization within the church is done on a democratic level, with each priest or priestess having the ability to vote in temple affairs. Its hierarchy is extremely casual, with no real structure behind it. Traditionally there is one High Priest or Priestess, known often as the 'Favored One' but below that singular rank priests are known and recognized for their ability to persuade, seduce or enact vengeance. Yvella's insistence on her clergy having personal freedom means that there is no standard routine for her priests or priestesses to follow. Ultimately a priest or priestess of Yvella will act in a way which meshes well with the temple in which they serve, be it good, evil or neutral. Priests or priestesses who are part of a temple devoted to good acts primarily focus their efforts in dealing with the goddess’s desires vengeance. They do this, not by carrying out acts of revenge by themselves but by assisting patrons of the church in finding those who will provide legal aid, something that unfortunately the church clergy are not trained to do themselves. If the crime against a patron is not illegal, but rather inconsiderate or dishonest, the priest or priestess may result in public shaming, using their influence and position to ensure that the shamed individual never works in the region again. Within the confines of the temple grounds, they will also engage in prostitution although always on a sacred level and never for coin, and they will also work as matchmakers, pairing up individuals based on their desires and needs. While this is primarily done for sexual interest rather than marriage, there has been more than one occasion where a permanent union has been created as a result of a Yvellan Priest's matchmaking prowess. For priests or priestesses of temples dedicated to evil actions, the difference in methods and activities couldn't be clearer. Seduction is carried out not for the sake of pleasure but in order to provide leverage or blackmail either for themselves or for clients that have requested their services. Thievery and assassination services are also provided to the highest bidder, with priests or priestesses acting either anonymously or under a false name. Payment is made in the form of secrets rather than gold, with priests or priestesses abusing their client's lust in order to drive their prices of their services higher. Evil priests or priestesses are competitive, always trying to outdo, or otherwise upstage their rivals with the clergy with greater and more intense acts of intimacy, guile, or vengeance. As a result of this competitive nature, those who fail to defeat a rival are often forced to leave the temple grounds and wander the land. This is for their own safety more than anything else, as Yvellan priests who are of an evil nature are not above killing rivals to ensure they cannot seek revenge against them in the future. For those priests and priestesses who prefer to stay away from acts of intense good or evil, and instead choose to work in neutral temples, the services provided are as neutral as the temple itself. The church instructs various petitioners on methods to gain revenge, although they usually urge the public to use methods of recompense which avoid causing injury. Neutral churches also act as information brokers, as they see the passing on of information as an act which is neither good nor evil. The information is just that, information, what people choose to do with the information is where good and evil are mixed in. All temples, regardless of alignment provide services in the form of the purchase of alchemical creations, herbs, and other potions and elixirs. Poisons, aphrodisiacs, love potions, contraceptives, abortifacients, and their counter agents are all sold by the temples dedicated to Yvella. Even priests which work in temples dedicated to the good aspects of Yvellan faith sell poisons, however, any poisons sold by those temples are nonlethal, designed to embarrass or humiliate the target. Poisons which act as laxatives are popular, as are those that simulate drunkenness. The selling of poisons brings them into conflict with the servants of Teremis, the God of Murder, who specialize in far more lethal poisons and ensure that the priests of Yvella don't undercut the market, thankfully despite the animosity shared between Yvella and Teremis, the priests of both churches have yet to come to blows, but both churches are fully aware of the actions of the other, and keep an eye on each other at all times. Temple rituals are as varied as the temples themselves, making the exact listing of every ritual and its activities next to impossible, however, there is one ritual that is shared among all temples, regardless of alignment, known as the Rite of the Thorn. This rite is performed a when a temple initiate has completed his novitiate and is ready to move forward in the ranks of the priesthood. In order to do this, the initiate must first disguise him or herself and, while in this new guise, seduce an individual who has wronged them in the past. They must demonstrate that they can take advantage of the target’s lust for them with the ultimate goal of having the target reveal secrets which, if exposed to the public, would result in the target being humiliated or worse ruined in the public eye. If such secrets do not exist, as is the case when particularity pious targets are chosen for the Rite, the initiate should instead try to get the target to reveal activities that they may partake in which could do the same. Once the information has been obtained, the initiate must expose the secrets in such a way that they cannot be refuted, and then once that is complete, then and only then must the initiate reveal their true identity to the target. If the initiate is successful, and his superiors within the temple believe his attempt to be true to the Rite, then the initiate begins his or her transition into the priesthood. The transition also takes the form of a ritual which is common among all temples. Beginning with a fasting period for one whole day, from sunset to sunset, alone in the temple. At sunset the day after the fast began, a masked priest takes the initiate and leads them into a private chamber, where the initiate is told to drink from a cup of spiced wine spiked with powerful aphrodisiacs so that they might taste the fire, sweetness, and intoxication that combines together to form the basis of lust. Following the drinking, other masked members of the clergy enter the chamber and the initiate must select a partner from those gathered. The priest that is chosen will then remove the initiates clothes and incinerate them, an act which is seen as the discarding of one's identity so that they might fully embrace the Church of the Rose. A form of ritual sex then follows, with hallucinogenic incense being burned in the chamber, which is used to heighten the mystical aspects of the ritual. After the ritual sex is concluded and the effects of the hallucinogen wear off, the new priest is then escorted to a bath, where they are bathed by their chosen partner and given his first set of clerical robes. His superiors within the church then declare the new priest or priestess to be one with the goddess and begin the process of filling them in on the church's many secrets. Clothing of the Faithful Clothing for Yvella's priests and priestesses is minimalistic, bordering on scant, typically constructed from dark leathers or red silk that covers very little and conceals even less. What skin is revealed by the priests is often marked with intricate patterns painted onto the body using henna dyes. Ultimately there is no specific uniform for the priests of Yvella, and they are allowed to tailor their own outfits to suit their own methods of seduction. Additionally, priests and priestesses may choose to wear gold jewelry on their bodies or have decorations created for their armor which are constructed from, or painted gold although this is up to each individual priest or priestess of the church. The Holy Texts Yvella's holy texts are as numerous as they are equal parts informative and erotic, which is to say that there are many of them. These include the Secrets of Pleasure, Volumes 1 through to 20. The Art of Seduction, Volumes 1 through to 5, and the Manuscripts of Revenge, Volumes 1, 2 and 3. Copies of these books can be found in every temple and church dedicated to Yvella, and give expansive detail, including illustrations of various sexual positions, in-depth instructions on how to read and manipulate the thoughts and emotions of those around you and details on how to satisfy the desire for revenge in the cruelest manner possible. Celebrated Holidays Yvella's church does not celebrate any known holiday but they do on occasion honor days where particularly devious acts of revenge or seduction were accomplished by members of the church. Relations with Other Faiths Yvella's relationships with the other Imbringen gods are complex, too say the least. Each temple dedicated to the goddess has their own ideas about just how much truth can be found in the stories that circulate, which unfortunately has led to increased tensions inside the church itself. One thing that all the temples agree on, however, is that the other gods treat Yvella with care and the utmost respect, as even the gods of Imbringen fear her wrath and none wish to suffer a fate similar to that of Teremis. If a priest was to explain, in general terms, the complex relationships of Yvella they would say that Yvella and her mother Uphion get along well, perhaps too well, as music and art, depending on the nature of it, can lead to a more erotic form of love, which in turn can lead to sex. She also respects Atune but thinks she is far too hung up on the various setbacks which she has endured over the years. Yvella finds Zonona utterly disgusting but still manages to respect her lust for life, even if her idea of life is far different from Yvella's own and she hates Teremis with a passion unseen by many, primarily due to the way that Teremis betrayed her during the civil war between the gods. Of all the gods, however, it is Ione who receives the most attention, for rumors exist that the two goddesses are on very 'friendly' terms, although just how far that friendship goes is unclear. Yvella's Plane - The Mansion of Thorns As with the other imbringen gods and goddesses, Yvella maintains her own plane of existence known as the Mansion of Thorns. As with the goddess herself, the realm she calls home is one that is beautiful, inviting, playful and completely untrustworthy, as it shifts constantly in both size and shape depending on the whims of the goddess. Consisting of a large mansion and surrounding grounds including a forest and rose garden maze those who have been blessed with being able to enter the realm of the goddess often speak of finding themselves in different regions of the plane each time they enter, and some have even spoken about being led through a maze of doors and corridors before finally being left to their own devices due to the playful nature of the goddess. One thing that remains consistent within her realm is the interior of the mansion itself. Filled with multiple rooms and parlors, it is filled with sounds of conversation and lovemaking, as the mansion is the home of all the priests and priestesses of Yvella who have passed from the world. Even those who die from old age or disease are present within, their bodies altered so that they appear as they did during their prime, free of all imperfections and given a form of eternal life in the hands of the goddess they revered in life. Disclaimer Yvella is loosely based off of the goddess Calistra from the Pathfinder Universe. Category:Duchy of Avern Category:Gods Category:Imbringen Islands